TWO of Devon and Cornwall’s police officers have been nominated for a bravery award after putting their lives at risk to rescue a motorist from a vehicle fire just outside of Milton Abbot.

DCs Alison Brooks and Andrew Whittle came across a serious traffic collision on March 9 last year on the B3362 when two vehicles collided head on, tragically resulting in one driver being killed.

The second driver was trapped in his car.

The deceased driver’s vehicle caught fire and posed a serious risk to the surviving motorist. When efforts by both officers to put out the fire proved unsuccessful, DC Whittle shielded the driver from the worst of the flames until he could partially free his legs so the officers could pull him from the wreckage. Unable to walk due to his injuries, they carried him to a safe distance.

Despite the personal risk involved, the professional and courageous actions of Alison and Andrew, based in Bodmin, protected the driver from a life threatening situation. Having successfully dealt with this incident the officers’ resilience was further displayed as they carried on to their appointment in relation to a murder investigation and obtained the important statement.

The pair have been nominated to win an award at the 23rd Police Bravery Awards in London on July 12. The awards are held by the Police Federation of England and Wales to honour and recognise police officers who performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty, and are sponsored by Police Mutual.

Andrew Berry, chair of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation, said: ‘The bravery and professionalism shown by DCs Brooks and Whittle went above and beyond the normal call of duty. They showed exceptional bravery, putting their own lives at risk to help rescue a member of the public and ensuring that no one else was hurt.’